Depressed and Need To Tell Parents

Q. For about a year now I have been getting very depressed. At first it wasn’t very bad, and I thought it would just go away. But now I get depressed almost every day. I always want to be alone, and whenever I have a sport i don’t want to go to it. I cry a lot or get teary eyed, I have gotten irritated at people very easily and I always feel ugly. I also get paranoid and scared when I’m in the dark. I want to tell my parents about it but I don’t know what to say. I have tried to tell them before but whenever I try to bring it up i feel like I’m about to cry. Can you give me advice on what I can tell them or what I can do?

A. You should go to your parents and tell them the truth, even if it makes you cry. Please know that it is okay to cry. Depression can be extremely challenging. I suspect you are crying because you know and feel this and that is why it is imperative that you reach out for help from your parents. Your parents probably are not aware of how much you are suffering. They need to know. There are no magic words, no special phrases that you have to say; just go to them with the truth. Tell them how much you are suffering even if you cry while you are telling them. By doing this, they can assist you in finding help.